Health · Fitness & Nutrition · 6 hrs ago
Halifax man runs marathon after reviewing donairs across the city
David Wadden visited 59 donair spots in Halifax while preparing for his first marathon.
He moved to the city from Cape Breton in 2018 and started the project after finding he had few donair recommendations for visiting friends.
He jogged and biked more than 800 kilometres around the city, stopping to review donairs by their ingredients, size and price.
Joann’s Pizza Land in Clayton Park earned his top rating, and the restaurant says the recognition brought in new customers.
Wadden also partnered with Feed Nova Scotia to support people facing food insecurity, raising more than $2,000.
The charity is measuring donations in donairs, with $10 counted as the cost of one.
Wadden completed the Valley Harvest Marathon in the Annapolis Valley two weeks before the story was published.
David Wadden completed his first marathon after training by visiting 59 donair locations across Halifax.
He jogged and biked more than 800 kilometres while reviewing the city’s donairs.
Wadden ranked the donairs by factors including weight, price, size and ingredients, and rated Joann’s Pizza Land in Clayton Park highest.
He partnered with Feed Nova Scotia and has raised more than $2,000 for the charity.
- Who
- David Wadden, a Nova Scotia man who moved to Halifax from Cape Breton.
- What
- He trained for and completed his first marathon while visiting and reviewing 59 donair locations.
- When
- He completed the marathon two weeks before the article was published on 2026-10-27.
- Where
- He visited locations across Halifax and completed the Valley Harvest Marathon in the Annapolis Valley.
- Why
- He wanted to find the best donair and strengthen his bond with Halifax’s official food. He also used the project to support Feed Nova Scotia.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Wadden moved to Halifax from Cape Breton.
Wadden visited 59 locations and jogged and biked more than 800 kilometres while reviewing donairs.
Wadden completed the Valley Harvest Marathon in the Annapolis Valley.
- Locations visited
- 59
- Distance jogged and biked
- More than 800 kilometres
- Top-rated donair
- Joann’s Pizza Land in Clayton Park
- Funds raised
- More than $2,000 for Feed Nova Scotia
- Longest run
- 32 kilometres
What people are saying
I decided … what if I ran or did an exercise to get to the donairs? And then the name ‘Donairathon’ came to be
Thirty-two kilometres was my longest run: 16 kilometres, eat the donair, and then 16 kilometres back
It was really good. It really helped us, it really helped the business
Sometimes just the smallest idea can turn into something that is so, so much bigger